A Brief History
A few Christian denominations can claim the antiquity of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, whose foundation can be traced back to the very dawn of Christianity. It justifiably prides itself as being one of the earliest established apostolic churches, if not the oldest. It was in Antioch, after all, that the followers of Jesus were called Christians as we are told in the New Testament. "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." (Acts 11:26)

The Church of Antioch is the second established church in Christendom after Jerusalem. The prominence of its Apostolic see is very well documented.
The Syriac Orthodox Church is quite unique for many reasons. Firstly, it presents a form of Christianity which is Semitic in nature with a culture not far from the one Christ himself experienced. Secondly, it employs in its liturgy the Syriac language, an Aramaic dialect akin to the Aramaic spoken by Christ and the Apostles. Thirdly, its liturgy is one of the most ancient since it has been handed from one generation to another. Fourthly, and most importantly, it demonstrates the unity of the body of Christ by the multiethnic nature of its faithful